Mutt
by Wolves Crimson Tears
Summary: Trapped in a city of lies, a lone wolf waits out his days for a chance to escape. When another pack finds him, he sees his chance, but will they accept him? And will he be able to them about his terrible secret of his tragic past?
1. No Light, No Hope, No Chance

**Mutt:** Yes! I've gotten around to makng a Wolf's Rain story! I love the show and I've had this idea in my head for a loooong time. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Wolf's Rain.

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Crowds, groups, insignificant cliques. People walked by me without even a second glance. Faces, scents, bodies, sounds. I was melding in with this sea of flesh and cloth I could no time in a millions years ever become truly a part of, and I never wanted to. Their listless, petty eyes of no understanding went unnoticed of me because of the way I looked now, fooling them. If they could see me for what I truly was, all expressions would change to malice and hate. Humans always feared and attacked what they did not understand. Moreover, a wolf in hiding was something they definitely did not understand. 

For most of my life, as a wolf, I have lived in this horrible city of drugs, gangs, and death. The officers have tried in vain to keep the corruption off the streets, but more men are lost than actual civilians saved. I live on my own in this hellhole as my pack had long since passed on and left me alone in this place with no one but myself to rely on. Never once did I hold a grudge against them for doing so. After all, it was partially my fault they had ended up they way they did. Inevitably landing me in the position I was in today.

So, for now, I have been waiting impatiently for my chance to somehow rise from this corrupted city of filthy humans and death. Keeping myself hidden by taking the form of their ideal "perfect" figure was sickening enough, and I often felt like vomiting at the sight of myself in any puddle on the sidewalk or dirty window of some store. My teenaged figure often drew the attention of many hookers or gang thugs looking for a good time, only to, in the end; wind up with my fangs sinking into their necks.

This is how life is for me in this city with no name and all fear. Fighting, hiding, and self-loathing. My chances for escape always seem so farfetched as my pup figure wouldn't last two minutes out in the barren wasteland of the unknown. What I needed was a pack, protection, but I hadn't seen another wolf since my last pack. For all I knew, I could have been the last wolf alive.

Depressing thoughts, yes, but maybe they were the truth. Nowadays, any dreams were tarnished and tossed aside. All you had to do was look up at the smog-filled, dark skies and all hope seemed lost. Humans had really screwed up this world they seemed to think is theirs, and we wolves and other creatures have to take the hit for their dumb mistakes.

So life continues with these sometimes mindless, sex-driven, and highly god-complexed fools in their struggle to survive. All the while, not even knowing I was here, a wolf, a symbol they believed to be nothing but evil, lived on their supposedly pristine streets.

"Idiots." I looked over the city again with a heavy sigh. "They just don't get that they're driving themselves into the dust. Oh well." Standing stiffly, I stretched to get any kinks out, cracking my spine pleasingly. It was probably about midnight and I did nothing but sit on top of this building all-day and brood. Well, it was my favorite spot. This building was the center of attention and was the tallest of them all. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I faced the city. "Guess I better head out."

"Hey, what the hell are you doing up here?" a voice from behind me caused my ears to perk. Looking over my shoulder slightly, I saw three guys. Dressed in their usual red jackets, I knew they were the residential gang and I was more than aware that I was sitting atop their turf. "How many times we gotta tell you, dumb-ass, we own this rooftop?"

Turning to face them, I held up my hands limply as I smirked slightly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Call me dumb, I guess. I just like it here."

The three of them faced each other, astonished looks on their misshapen faces of annual beatings. "This guy is some joker."

"Should we teach 'im a lesson, Boss?"

Boss, as they called him, looked at me with a smug sneer. "Sure, why not. Haven't killed anybody for about a week now."

"A week? Really? Wow, you have been holding back." I grinned. "Good for you." Boss's expression changed comically as his two followers looked between him and me with confused expressions of their own. Humans were so easy to fluster.

"Just take funny boy out. I'm tired of him already." He waved to them idly and they made their slow tread toward me. The two of them pulled out a handgun, waving it at me as if to scare me.

Boss stood by the stairwell door with a self-righteous smirk on his homely face. "Say your prayers, funny boy."

Smirking myself, I lowered my head slightly and mumbled, "Humans really are dumb."

"What's that?"

Narrowing my eyes, I sharpened my smirk and looked back up slightly. My bangs hung over my right eye as I repeated, "I said, humans really are dumb."

The two thugs were about three feet from me now, as they seemed to hesitate. "This guy is nuts, Boss."

"Just take care of him. I'm tired of hearing his stupid nonsense." They advanced on me, guns ready, their boss too much of a coward to face me himself. I just watched as they ran at me, the edge of the building at my back. They thought they had the advantage. How wrong they were.

Lunging at them, I brought my jaws down on the shoulder of the first thug and bit down as hard as I could. His bones were like weak twigs under the pressure of my fangs and I couldn't help but smile in delight at the sound of them snapping. The guy dropped immediately to his knees and seemed to be in such a state of shock that he didn't even cry out in pain. It wasn't until I let go and had my eyes set on the next guy that he finally opened his mouth to scream.

The second guy raised his gun to shoot me, but I ducked under him and attacked his side. My claws and teeth tearing into cloth and skin, spurting blood onto my face and fur. He was on his back in a heartbeat while screaming bloody murder as I decided to let go. Beneath him, glimmering with an almost sickly pleasing gleam was a growing puddle of his blood. Turning the guy's coat an even redder red. Oh the irony.

"Wha-wha-wha what the hell are you?" Boss stammered as he tripped on his own feet, landing back on his butt. His eyes were wide in fear as he listened to the horrible cries of agony from his followers. "A demon?"

Stepping out of the bloody puddle of his fallen lackey, I put up my human illusion again. Switching from wolf to human, yes, I must have seemed like a demon in the eyes of a human. "How about you leave me alone now," I began to casually wipe the blood from my lips. "I'm growing tired of your scent." Baring my fangs, I tried to make my message clear. He wasn't even able to get to his feet as he fell over himself to get to the door. With a horrified scream, he got the door opened and fell down the stairs. I listened with a limp smile at his pained grunts as he rolled painfully down the steps.

Hurting and killing wasn't something I really wanted to make of myself. No. I never wanted in the beginning to cause harm of any kind to anyone. In this place, you are expected to do so to survive, and I deserved to live too. Wolf or not. If someone tries to cause trouble, talking your way out of it just didn't work. You had to hurt someone. Sometimes you had to murder. This, I have done too many times.

Looking around at the mess I made, I sighed again. "I was about to leave anyways you stupid idiots."

"You're….you're a… monster." The guy whose shoulder I had destroyed looked at me with malice-filled eyes.

I stared at him. "I was just sitting up here minding my own business. You started this whole thing and threatened my life. Who's the monster here?" Okay, maybe it was me, but I wasn't the only one. With that, I stuck my hands back in my pockets, turned toward the door, and whistled as I made my causal way down to the stairs. The night was still young and I was hungry. I did not feed on humans and I never will. That would tarnish the good wolf name. "Huh? Hey, you're still here." I couldn't help but smile when I saw Boss at the end of the hall cowering next to the door.

He looked at me fearfully as he clutched his right leg. It looked broken. "Stay away from me!" Whistling still, I walked over to him. "I said stay away!" He pulled a gun on me so I stopped. "You killed my two greatest men. Bastard!" His hand was shaking violently as he tried to keep me in the line of fire. Taking a step forward, he gasped. "Don't! I'll shoot you!" I was right in front of him. "DON'T!"

"You should see one of your petty doctors for that leg."

"Huh?" He looked up at me. I was holding the door open.

Stepping through the door, I didn't even spare the time to look back at him. "If it means anything, there's one guy still alive up there. Night." Waving an idle hand over my shoulder, I left the whimpering man in the hallway. Just because he was stupid didn't mean I had to kill him.

"Now, where to eat?" Once out on the street, I looked around. There were quite a few people still out-and-about. Most were teenage boys scurrying around with their friends, either looking for something to steal or scavenge. A few elderly were still out, but not by choice really. The failing economy around here left many people without homes to call their own. "Oh well, not my problem."

"Did ya hear? They're bringing in a military van in the morning. Food and stuff." A few boys, gang member wannabes, huddled around a burning garbage can. All with eager faces glowing in the flames.

Another grinned. "If we can pull off a heist from the thing, we'd be eating good for weeks."

"Eating good for weeks!" They all chorused in. I just walked away from them. A military van meant nothing but dark omens for a wolf like myself. My stomach growled so I dropped in at the place I usually did.

"Hey there Mutt, been some time. Where ya been?" Layla grinned and waved from behind the counter.

Sighing, I walked over and sat down on one of the stools. "Why do you always have to call me that?" She didn't know I was a wolf, but she insisted on calling me Mutt.

She grinned, putting down a glass mug. "What am I supposed to call you if you won't give me your name?" Playing with a strand of my hair, her grin sharpened into a smirk. "Plus, with this long, shaggy, white hair of yours, you sure look like a mutt to me." I just sighed.

Humans were nonsense, confusing creatures and I chose not to hang around them, but for some reason Layla had been a bit different from the usual gaggle of nimrods. "You're so weird," was my only response.

"You're the weird one," she giggled. A half-drunken man ordering another drink drew her attention from me. When she came back to me, she leaned against the counter. "I shouldn't even be letting you in here because of your age." Her short, red, spiky hair glowed somewhat in the dim, orange light of the bar.

"But you do anyway. Now come on, I'm hungry." Scavenging garbage cans and feeding off road kill died out of me a long time ago when I found out people ate in these places. Only problem was, I had none of their currency to pay for the food, but Layla pitied me I guess. You know, just another pathetic strike to my ego.

Right before she could even get off the counter, some guy came busting through the door. "Bring me your best liquor!" It was some old fart dressed in a ratty, old brown trench coat. He stumbled a bit as he made his way to the stool beside me then sat down. "Come on! I haven't got all day!"

"No shit, it's night," I scoffed at him under my breath without even looking at him. His whole attire smelled nothing of old booze. Disgusting.

"Here Mutt." Layla laid a plate down under my nose then turned to the old man and asked, "What kind do you want? We have a large variety."

"Why do you have a whelp in here?" Of course, he was talking about me. Whelp meant kid I guessed. "What kind of bar you runnin' here?"

"We're the best in town, and he's just here for food. Now, what do you want?" Her tone remained steady and a bit calm, but she wasn't about to take crap from anyone. Maybe that's why I liked hanging around here. She didn't back down like some other human.

Finally, the old man sighed, his horrible breath making me gag on my food. "Something hard and strong." He sounded almost defeated, devoid of anything lively and strong. If the guy was looking for Layla's strongest stuff, then this guy must really want to forget something. Layla must have been thinking the same thing because she gave the guy an almost sympathetic look before grabbing the bottle and a glass. "No glass. Just give me the bottle." She gave him the bottle and not even a second had passed before he pressed the thing to his lips and chugged nearly half of it.

_Stupid alcoholic. _I eyed the man slightly as I ate. It wasn't the fact that he was a drunk that was making my fur stand on end. He, for some reason, seemed to be a threat. I could smell it. It was under the booze and dreadful body odor. A low growl almost rumbled in my throat as I realized the scent. _Wolf blood. _

"Damn wooooolves!" he shouted suddenly after taking another swig. All of my attention was on the man just then. My alarms were going off, full blare. "I chasssssed them in here, to yer city. Dam' things runnin'. Taking the forms of humans!"

"Stupid drunk." A few people leered at the man. Some didn't appreciate the way he was talking and what he was talking about.

Layla looked at the man. "Wolves are extinct, old man. Have been for a long time now."

"That's what they want you to believe!" He threw the bottle at the wall right next to Layla. She screamed as it shattered into shrapnel shards.

"Hey!" I was on my feet in a second, pulling down on the guy's shoulder. "What's your problem?!" So what if I stood at about five foot, seven? Scrawny for human stature, but I was a wolf! If he tried messing with anyone, I would take him no problem!

He swung back in his seat from my tug and his eyes lingered on me with unfocused precision. After a minute, his eyes widened and he literally threw himself back from my grasp. "Heathen! You're a wolf!" The whole bar quieted as the man jumped back off his stool and glared at me. Outside, I could clearly hear the rabid barking of a very large dog. "You people let a wolf in here without even knowing it!"

I stood my ground, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "What are you talking about old man? You've had way too much to drink." There was no way he knew I was a wolf. My disguise was perfect! Wasn't it? It fooled everyone else.

"Get out of here now," Layla snapped, glaring at him. "You're no longer welcomed here. Get out!" She pointed to me. "He is a boy! A human!"

"Shut up woman!" The guy reached behind his shoulder and pulled out a large weapon. A shotgun! How had I not noticed? The scent was very distinct! Damn alcohol! "That boy," he said darkly, pointing the thing at me, "is no boy." People screamed, things broke, bodies stampeded for the door, but I was frozen solid. The things that were going on around me didn't faze me whatsoever. It was just the old man and me. "Die!" He pulled the trigger, bullets flew, and I snapped out of my shock just in time to avoid two bullets zooming for my skull.

Leaping onto the counter, I snarled at the man. "What have I ever done to you?" Unexpectedly, I had dropped my illusion by accident. Spark of adrenaline did it, and it was just then that I noticed Layla on the ground staring up at me. Her eyes were wide with fear, her mouth opened slightly in a silent scream. I could read her expression all too well.

You demon. You monster!

Was I really something to be so despised? 

My attention on her was drawn short as another round was fired on me. I evaded to the right, knocking over plates and bottles on my way. My footing was jumpy as I slipped on alcohol and plates of food. I was running out of counter to run on. The room was too small and people were swarming me!

"Kill the wolf!" They were trying to corner me as I leaped onto a few tables. It cracked and snapped in half under my weight and I went tumbling for the floor. Things were whipping by too fast for me to have any coherent thought. Many threw things at me, forks, spoons, knives, bottles. "Kill it! Kill the wolf!" Things hit me at a bombarding rate, but I soon realized the people weren't my biggest problem at the moment.

"Get him Blue!" the old man shouted at the top of his lungs. Crashing through the window was a huge black dog! Its blue eyes were targeted on me as it barked and snarled, running at me with intent to kill.

I yelped and lunged for the far corner, trying to get away from it all. With my jaws open, I snapped down at anyone who tried touching me. This caused a big hole to form in the mob so I took my chance and ran for the broken window. _I'm gonna make it! _Another shot exploded in my ears just as I leaped for the window. Almost immediately, a white-hot, searing pain ignited in my hind leg and shock flowed up my body. My landing was nowhere near perfect as I hit the ground on my side and rolled a few times before trying to stand again. The landing only ignited the flames in my leg.

"Get the wolf!" People spilled from the building, intent to kill in their eyes.

With a scream raking at my closed throat, I stood and ran down the streets. I tried with all my might to keep my illusion up, trying not to draw anyone else's attention. All the while, I was trying to ignore the immense pain in my leg. _I have to get off the streets. Where's my hiding spot? _I ran down an alleyway, searching for it. The people were right behind me, cursing and shouting along with the big dog's horrible barking.

"Hey! Up here!" someone called to me from above.

Stopping, I looked up and saw some kid standing at the edge of the building. _Who is that?_ I tried to keep any to all pressure off my leg.

The kid waved to me, calling again, "Come on! They'll get you if you don't get up here!"

I couldn't focus, I couldn't think, and there was no way I was about to trust some stranger right off the bat! "Forget you!" With pain burning at my leg, I sprinted off down the almost cobble-stone like ground. My paws splashed in puddles, glass and rocks. Not much of problem under my powerful padded feet, but with the fear creeping at me from the farthest crevices of my mind, anything was spooking or hurting me. Only once I saw the green street sign would I calm down.

"He went down this way!"

_There it is! _The glowing green sign was just at the end of the alleyway so I couldn't help but feel at least a bit of hope rising in my chest.

"Are you some kind of dumb?" a gruff voice shouted at me from above.

I was caught off-guard as another shot from the old man got me, shooting right through my right shoulder. The pain was so quick that I had barely noticed it, but it soon flared up in burning agony as I stumbled and fell. _Shit! _Trying to stand again, my injured leg was useless as my right forearm numbed instantly. _What am I-… What am I going to do now? _Looking back, I saw the crowd of people getting closer. The big, dark dog ahead of them all, its razor sharp teeth bared. I was numb. I was frozen. I was dead.

To my surprise, three guys dropped down in front of me. Two of them went at the people in front of us while the other grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and carried me off. "Stupid runt! Why didn't you come with us before when Toboe was calling you?" He then hoisted me up and started carrying me over his shoulder. I didn't bother to struggle, there was no way I could. My eyes were open in a mix of shock and amazement. "What?" He looked at me. 

"You're a wolf," my voice sounded pathetically small.

"Yeah? So are you. Who cares?" His sharp yellow eyes then faced forward again as he lunged upward. After a few side-jumps on the buildings, we landed on the roof and it didn't take long for me to notice another boy on the roof with us. It was the boy from before.

Everything was happening too fast and I was just too tired. "Wake me when the world ends." With consciousness barely clinging to my mind, I finally allowed myself to slip into the void of nothingness.


	2. A Greeting with Heaven

**Mutt:** Second chapter! If you haven't noticed already, the character in this story is based off me. I've always wondered what it'd be like to be with Kiba and the others. Toboe is my favorite. He's awesome!

Anywho, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the pack. They are free to be on their own. I only wish to run with them. **

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"Think he's gonna die?" 

"You fat idiot, of course he isn't going to die."

"Hey, I'm just sayin'. He hasn't woken up yet and it's been some time now."

"It's only been four hours."

_Who is talking? God, it's annoying._ Opening my right eye a crack, I couldn't see anyone. "Someone there?" Sitting up, I noticed I was in some kind of room. It wasn't very big. Maybe big enough for a small family to live in. "Hello?"

"Hey, you're awake." Looking over my shoulder, I saw some grinning guy sitting on the couch. He played with his collar that had the letter _H_ on it. "Took ya long enough. I'm Hige." I just stared. "Hey, what? Is there something on my face?"

"You're a wolf," I managed to blurt out.

Something moved to my right, so I quickly looked over and saw the guy with silver hair leaning in the doorway. "Yeah, unfortunately, that porker is a wolf," he dissed Hige with a smug grin.

"C'mon Tsume, why aren't you nice to me?" Hige whined as he laid back with his arms crossed over his head.

Tsume looked back at me and I realized I was staring. "Got some kind of problem, runt?"

"Runt? Who you calling a runt?" Standing, I realized my injuries were still healing so I had to be careful. "I'm no runt."

"Don't be angry." Someone patted me playfully on the back. Glancing back, I saw it was the younger kid who was calling to me from before. "They call me runt all the time." He smiled happily at me. I don't think I've ever seen such a happy face before in my life. It was weird. To tell the truth, I was more used to cold shoulders and smug remarks like Tsume was giving Hige and me. "I'm Toboe. Pops is a jerk, isn't he?"

"Pops?" Cocking my head to the side a bit, I just stared at him.

Hige stretched and replied, "The old guy who tried to kill you with his rabid dog."

Shadowing a hand over the bullet wound on my right shoulder, I nodded slightly. "Oh, yeah. Him."

"So what's your name?" Toboe asked with a wide smile.

Staring at him again, I blinked. "Wha?"

"Your name, runt. Toboe wants to know," Tsume repeated for him with a tone that made me seem like some type of retard.

I was in a room with three other wolves. Wolves just like me! Inside, I was yipping and howling with joy, but I knew it wouldn't last. They were only passing through. I could smell the outside, the unknown, on them. They didn't reek of city streets or car exhaust. Their scent was the real deal. Freedom.

Toboe tilted his head as his smile faltered. "Are you okay? Don't you have a name? Where's your pack?" He seemed about as anxious and curious as I was. His vibrant amber eyes just glimmering. It was blinding.

"Toboe, calm down," someone said with a calm voice. I didn't know where it came from, but then someone walked through the door Tsume was standing by. They guy's eyes were an ice-clear blue while he had messy brown hair, but I could see him for whom he truly was. I didn't even know white wolves were still around. Or any wolf for that matter! "My name is Kiba. This is some town you have." I could tell by his tone that he wasn't in the least bit happy about this town.

Sighing heavily, I slumped my shoulders and said, "It's not my town. Just a minor disruption in my need to get out."

Hige sniffed the air toward me, but didn't get up. He stopped and gave me a funny look. "That's odd. If this isn't your town, then why do you smell like nothing but this place?" All eyes were on me. They were judging me now. Seeing if I was even worthy of their rescue.

For some reason, I felt cornered and a little panicky. My joy deflated and soon replaced with slight fear. Not all packs were very friendly with outsiders such as myself. Just me being here could be pissing them off. I had stepped foot into their territory, and unlike those foolish thugs back on that building, these guys I knew I should be afraid of.

I tightened my hands into fists and diverted my eyes to the wooden floor. "Fine, yes, this place is unfortunately my home. It has been since my pack resided here. My mother just so decided to give birth to me and my bothers and sisters in the wrong place at the wrong time." Closing my eyes, I remembered back to that day about a year after my birth. "This place was their home and coffin." The last part I merely mumbled, hoping they wouldn't make me repeat anything.

There was silence for a few minutes and I sort of felt foolish for just standing there in the center of the room like some dork. My fur was beginning to puff from anxiety, but someone finally broke the silence. "That's so sad." It was Toboe. He looked to be on the verge of tears as he looked at the ground as well. "I'm sorry about your pack."

Giving a stiff, pained shrug, I looked off to the side. "Things happen. That's how life goes. Things are born then die. It can't be helped."

"You're an odd pup," Kiba said out of nowhere. You could say it surprised me. He seemed to be the silent, watchful type.

Hige grinned. "Aw, leave the kid alone, Kiba. He kind of reminds me of you."

"And you remind me of a fat porker," Tsume groaned. "Shut up." I felt uneasy all over again.

Toboe gave me a nervous smile. "Don't worry, that's how they always are."

"I see." Nodding slowly, I registered in the back of my mind how differently this pack acted from mine. They didn't seem to have rules or any obvious status or rank. I don't think they even had a…"Who's the leader of this pack?" They silenced and looked at me.

"Huh?" Hige looked at me with a vacant, clueless stare.

"Who's the leader here? The alpha?" Now I was the one with the confused, vacant stare. These guys were so weird, acting like they didn't know what a leader was. How could a pack function without one?

Tsume folded his arms then made a slight grunt sound. "We don't have one, kid. And if we did, this guy here seems to think he's the leader." He made a slightly gesture toward Kiba. Okay, right then I was thrown straight through the damned loop and landed awkwardly on my face. Ow, even the mental image of that hurt my wounds.

"How can you not have a leader? You guys are weird."

Just then, Hige burst out laughing. He was clutching his sides hard as he rolled off the couch. His fur was a very light brown, like maple syrup. It seemed much livelier than the old, rotted wood we were standing on. He looked up at me with a lopsided grin. "Kid, you have no idea. We've been called many things over this time, but I think you're the first to call us weird." For his size, I was surprised at how fast he crossed the room and had my head in a headlock. "I like you, runt." He started giving me a noogie. "It's probably this shaggy hair, but you seem like a good enough kid."

I struggled in his grip, trying to pull away from his arms. "Stop calling me kid! That's not my name!"

"Then what is your name?" Tsume asked as he stood straight instead of his leisure lean against the doorframe. "You haven't told us yet."

Hige released my head as I tried pulling away again, so I tumbled backwards onto my butt. Suppressing a whimper, I blocked the pain throbbing in my leg and shoulder. All the while, I was trying valiantly to think of something to say. I didn't have a name. If I ever did, I forgot what it was. The only thing anyone ever called me was-- "Mutt," I had said the name before I could even think it over.

"Mutt?" Hige gave me a strange look. "Who gave you that name? Your mom shouldn't have, did she?"

Feeling slightly ashamed, I sheepishly played with my shoelaces. "That's what Layla called me since I was young. I don't remember my real name."

Toboe crouched in front of me, his hands on his knees. "Who's Layla?" His tail was wagging as he smiled hopefully at me. "Another wolf?"

"Nope." Blinking a few times, I tried to forget the expression Layla had on her face when she saw me for what I truly was. "She was the human who gave me food sometimes."

"You were pampered by this human?" Tsume scoffed.

A deep growl resonated in my throat. "No way! I would never sink as low as to actually be cared for by those nimrods." I dug my claws into the floor on both sides of me then looked up at Tsume. "I have pride. I know my place in this world." His expression changed for a split-second, but it returned to his normal brooding glance. For some reason, I could sense he was perplexed about me.

"I was raised by a human," Toboe suddenly. "She was very nice. She was my gran." His tail was wagging slower now as he sank back onto his butt and he clutched his legs close to his chest. "She took me in when I was born. I loved her." He gripped harder on his legs, his knuckles even turned white. "But she died one day and I was alone." Slowly, he lifted his right wrist and I noticed the metal rings around it. "She gave me these." He looked so sad, so defeated.

I didn't understand why he was telling me this. There was no way he had this much trust in me already to be revealing something so sad about himself. I held no loathing for him because he was raised by a human, but there was no way I'd pity him either. Obstacles like death occur all the time and they occur only to make us stronger for the next day. But as I sat here and looked at him, a boy who was probably the same age as me, I did feel something for him. A type of sympathy maybe.

Reaching over, I placed a hand on his shoulder. I felt awkward and I could feel six pairs of eyes on me as I leaned forward and said, "I'm sorry." Never before had I apologized to anyone for anything. It was never really expected of me. I stole, scavenged, hurt, murdered, and did all kinds of other lowly things I should have apologized for. Or at least felt a little guilty for. No. I never did. Now look at me. I was trying to console a stranger, an outsider, about losing someone dear to him. A human nonetheless.

Without even realizing it, these guys were changing me already. This strange enigmatic pack without an obvious purpose. What I'd give to see what they've seen. I could smell it on them. They've been to places I've probably only dreamed. The way they moved showed they've been through rough times, were experienced at it, and yet seemed afraid. I wished to see the action. I longed to go where they've gone. It was in that instant that I knew I was going back to my old self. The self that needed someone to feel safe. To have a purpose. These four, they had a purpose.

As I continued to hold my hand on Toboe's shoulder, I took a quick glance out the window on my far right. The city loomed and beckoned to me, reaching out with its icy-cold grip of death and sorrow. How I hated the city and all that inhabited it. This place should be nothing but a distant memory. How I wished it'd be true.

"Hey Mutt," Tsume called to me, snapping me out of my trance on the city. "Just what kind of wolf are you? You just don't act normal."

Taking my hand from Toboe's slumped shoulder, I stood with a stifled groan. "Normal?" Sighing, I scratched my head somewhat. "I guess I don't act quite normal to you guys, huh? Isolation can chang a guy, wolf or not."

"Isolation?" Hige was sitting on the couch again. "But you're surrounded by people and if this Layla person named you, then you weren't really alone."

A sharp laugh escaped my lips and I realized how smug I sounded because of it. "Sorry, but when you've been surrounded by beings not of your nature with mannerism to act on nothing but to kill you on sight, you try to hide from them." Noticing how monotone I sounded, I tried to add a little feeling into the next part. "Layla was no exception." That must have been what Tsume was talking about when he called me strange. I had no sentiment on whatever I said because it was normal to me. Death, corruption, disappointment. That's normal, and it can change a guy.

"The sun will be rising soon." Again, Kiba's distant voice caught me off-guard. "We should be leaving soon." I hadn't noticed, but he was seated on a stack of wooden crates.

Toboe's chestnut colored ears perked slightly as he stood to face him. "Do we have to? We just got here and my feet hurt."

"Yeah, and I hear there's going to be some military vans heading this way," Hige added with a grin. "I can smell the food in them a ready, and that line of work is in Tsume's interest."

Tsume snarled at the plump wolf, "Shut up, fatty. I don't do that anymore." He uncrossed his arms to give Hige the finger, it was then that I noticed the X-shaped scar on his chest.

"Where'd you get that?" I guess you could say I was coming to admire the older, mixed gray wolf. He looked experienced, but probably not much older than Kiba there. They both looked as if they've seen Hell and back, though.

His expression changed from annoyance to shock for a second. "Nowhere. Drop it." He crossed his arms over his chest again then left the room. "We're not going after the van! We're leaving at daybreak!"

"Aw, I was hoping to eat," Hige complained from the couch. He rolled on his side and stretched. "We never get a good meal anymore."

I felt a little awkward again as Toboe went to Kiba and whispered something in his ear. As Toboe whispered, Kiba's eyes flickered on me then drifted off to a different direction. When the younger pup moved away from him, he closed his eyes for a second and seemed to be in deep thought. I was confused and anxious. Being stuck in one place was getting to me and I wished to go run around. I had to work the kinks out of my injuries.

As Kiba's eyes remained closed, I started to walk around the room and look at random things. Old pictures, books, there were a bunch of dust mounds that held nothing of interest, but I mostly hung around the window. The breeze from outside helped clear my head even though the sight wasn't much on the eyes.

_I hate it here. I hate it so much._ Leaning against the windowsill, I slumped my shoulders and propped my chin up on my hands. _It sucks. It sucks so bad._ Off in the distance, I could hear the random pops of guns, muffled screams, and revving of motorcycles. Rank smells of exhaust, blood, smoke, urine, and pollution wafted under my nose and I could do nothing to suppress the sneeze. Terrible.

"Mutt, if that's what you really want us to call you," Kiba, in a way, called to me. Turning around, I faced the white wolf cloaked in human illusion. We looked alike somewhat, him and I. Except, my hair was longer and white. Plus, he had at least half a foot on me. "Do you call this place your home? This place that was your pack's grave?"

His question caught me by surprise, but I tried to answer as best as I could. "This place is of bloody memories and nothing but a rotten corpse in itself filled with maggots. I do not wish to call this Hellhole my home nor my grave."

"Have you heard of a place called Paradise?"

Something clicked in my mind at the mere mention of that supposedly insignificant word. It was something the elders used to talk and scoff about. Mother would get mad at them and argue, but I never knew what it was about. I would ask her and she would reply the same thing every time, "They're just too old to believe in the freedom of Paradise anymore."

"My Mother used to argue with the older members of the family about it. They thought it was fake or something, but she wanted to find it. No one argued Mother or Father because they were the leaders. What is Paradise?"

Hige rolled his eyes then sighed. "Oh boy, here we go again."

Toboe jumped up and down excitably. "Paradise is a haven for wolves! A place where we can live safely!"

"If it's even real!" Tsume yelled from the other room.

"It is real!" Toboe yelled back, sticking his tongue out at him, but it was wasted on air.

I was put-off slightly. "Um, so you guys are searching for this Paradise without knowing if it's real or not?"

"Yeah, basically," Hige answered, nodding. "But Kiba over there is so sure that it's real, and I guess we had some proof for a while." His gin faltered into an almost sad smile. As if he were remembering something from long ago.

"Proof?" I was curious now.

Toboe shook his head slightly and seemed to plead at me with his eyes. "Don't bring that up now, please." His eyes shifted to the side toward Kiba's direction.

I looked over at Kiba and saw the completely vacant glaze over his eyes. He seemed to be lost in a thought so deep it was snaring anything left of his happiness or purpose. I just couldn't keep looking at him with that stare. Turning to face the window again, I had to place a hand over my heart to try and slow it. I had only seen that kind of gaze once before and I vowed to never see it again.

When I was composed, I turned to him again. "All right, but why are you asking me this Kiba?"

There was silence for a few minutes again, and I thought he hadn't heard me. "Would you like to come with us?"

Spinning on my heels, I faced them with wide eyes. I even think my tail was wagging. "What? Come with you?" My heart was racing again at this almost impossible moment in time. There was no way he had just asked me if I wanted to come with. No way! _I want to. I want to!_ "Why are you asking me this?"

Tsume stepped into the room, "So, you're saying you don't want to go?" Hige and Toboe were both grinning like idiots while Tsume had an uncharacteristic smile. Kiba just watched me with a blank face.

"No! That's not it. I…It's…Huh?" I was stuttering over my own words and I hated it. Nothing ever flustered me, and here I was stammering! "Yes! Yes I would like to come!" Out of my own character, I bowed for some reason. I bowed as low as I could until my back started to hurt. "Thank you! I promise I won't be trouble!" _Unfortunately for them, I may be more trouble than they can handle._ I tried to push that annoying though to the back of my mind.

"That's enough, Mutt," Tsume chuckled. "Stand up." I stood and couldn't help but smile back at them.

Kiba finally cracked a thin smile and I thought it was for me until I saw his gaze looking over me. I turned and saw light streaking across the exhaust-filled sky. "Daybreak. Time to go." They all turned and headed for the door. I remained. My eyes were glued to the city.

Toboe saw me and headed back for me. The others stopped and waited as well. "Are you ready?"

Turning my back to the window, I had my head lowered somewhat, but I lifted it to look at him. "Yeah, there's nothing here but things to forget."

We left the building, treaded the streets with swift feet, leaving nothing of our existence in its wake. We were nothing but shadows casting off the sides of retched buildings. Mere footsteps on forbidden ground. Vacant whispers never to be heard. The gates were before our eyes. I could feel my heart beating like a snare drum in my chest. We passed the gates, touched new ground, and I knew I was free.

I moved over the ground as if it were swift, smooth water rolling under my feet. Bodies moved around me, guiding me onward, watching me as one of their own. I was with my kind. Others like me. Kin by blood. I was noticed, I was indifferent in their eyes, I was known. As I left the city of forgotten dreams filled with despaired beings of no hope, I finally felt something I had never felt before. I felt the desire I so longed for.

Finally, I was free.


	3. Stop the Pounding of the Terrified Heart

**Mutt:** Please enjoy this chapter and review if you wish. It would help. I'm thankful for anyone to read, though.

* * *

"So, what do you think of the great outside Mutt?" Hige asked as we stopped for the first time in three days. I was quite surprised and a little proud of myself for lasting this long without growing tired or complaining about it. Not bad for a newbie. Secret kudos for myself.

We stopped in some barren, deserted town. There were only remnants of buildings and statues. Stone and wood splintered the dirt road that cut right through the whole place. It was so quiet. All I could hear was the wind and the hollow howls it created when passing through some cracks in the buildings. There were a few old cars broken down on the side of the road, but they looked charred. Actually, everything looked charred, as if a fire had swallowed this place at one point.

Sniffing the air a few times, my nose twitched as I picked something up. Slowly, I replied, "It's different." My eyes landed on something sticking out of the crook of a fallen building. Wandering over to it, I poked it once then pulled it out. My ears limped as I held the item and continued to stare.

Toboe followed me and saw it and his ears lowered as well. We were staring at the remains of a small child's doll. I could still pick up the scent of a little girl on it. "How sad." He sniffed slightly then wandered off to investigate other things.

Still holding the doll, I looked around the rest of the ghost town. With the sun partially hidden behind the clouds, I didn't have to shield my eyes to see how dismal this place was. Tsume and Kiba were watching me as I trekked the loose ground slowly. I was scanning the area slowly, not missing a thing. There were old footsteps, small items like books that belonged to maybe once happy people, and more remnants that made it look like a tornado hit here as well.

I stood in the center of the road and closed my eyes. The wind howled around me, touching and forming within and throughout everything then brushing against me in the end. Somehow, I could feel the despair the wind was feeling. No, it was the town. "Guys, I can hear the town crying." It wasn't until I said it that I realized how stupid I must have sounded. Not wanting to see their expressions, I kept my eyes closed and dropped the doll.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I opened my eyes and saw Toboe's sad smile. "We all hear it. We've been through here before. It's sad, isn't it?" Nodding, I tried to compare this feeling to the one back home. They were so different.

"All right, guys. Let's head out again," Tsume called to us before sprinting past us. Hige followed after him after complaining once about being hungry. Toboe and I didn't move. We were waiting for Kiba, but he seemed preoccupied with something else. He was staring up into the clouds. They were blotchy, gray, and rumbling just as they always were. It had been at least a month since I've seen the sun for what it truly was.

I was cautious as I made my way to Kiba's spot. Trying to turn my head to see what he was looking at, he narrowed his gaze and looked at me. "Uh." I backed up a good three feet. "We're just leaving is all." For some reason, I didn't think he was trying to look at me that way. It just seemed to fit his personality. Actually, I couldn't exactly pinpoint this guy's utmost persona. He was an enigma. "Are you okay?" I had to ask because he seemed a little worried about something. Maybe _worried_ wasn't the word.

"I'm fine, Mutt. Let's go." He gave me the slightest of a glimpse before sprinting after Tsume and Hige. I was left in the dust.

Toboe wandered over to me and tugged on my sleeve. "We have to catch up, Mutt. I don't want to be left behind." He gave me a pleading look. "Please, I hate being left behind." My heart felt as if it had been clenched by a strict hand. I even doubled over a little. "Are you okay?" He put his arms around me, trying to comfort me. I broke away from his hold and took off at top dash. "Hey!" I heard his cry of surprise then his hurried footsteps. "Don't leave me behind!" Again, my heart twisted. It wasn't the look he had given me or how he tugged my shirt, it was what he said. He didn't want to be left behind. He hated it.

Just as _he_ did.

An hour had passed since we arrived and left the town of tears. That's what I decided to call it. I never wanted to see that town again. Toboe was wary around me now, not understanding why I ran from him back there. I barely understood myself why I ran. It had something to do with those words he said that made me remember a bit of something I never wanted to stumble upon again. In that quiet, uncomfortable silence, the sky suddenly shifted and the winds began to gust at such a speed that I was having difficulty running in a straight line.

With the wind suddenly came a torrent of huge, thudding raindrops. They struck my nose and eyes, making me blink rapidly, and hack horribly when I tried to breathe. I wasn't the only one struggling. Tsume and Kiba tried to act as if they were fine, but Hige was shouting and trying to keep Toboe from blowing away. It was so unexpected! We should have smelled the coming rain. Were we that distracted?

"Everyone stop!" Kiba shouted at the top of his lungs so we all could hear. We all huddled around him, not for warmth, but for safety. I tried looking around, but the rain was coming down so violently that I couldn't even see past my bangs. Which, by the way, were stuck to my face and I couldn't keep them out of my eyes for the life of me.

Getting sick of them, I dropped my human illusion and huddled into the group as a wolf. Everyone seemed to follow suit and we all clustered into a tight ball. Rain thudded against our backs, soaking and chilling us to the bone. I even began to shiver, but I tried with all my might to cease. There was no way I'd show I was wimping out already, like some pampered, spoiled mongrel. If they could tough it out here then so could I.

Suddenly, Toboe leaned into my right shoulder. He was shivering violently as he buried his face under my chin. I didn't say a thing as I had no idea what to say. None of the others said anything because they either couldn't see or didn't care. Whatever it was, I didn't do anything as I continued to let Toboe shiver against me. Maybe just a little, I let myself shiver against him, so he knew he wasn't alone.

"Kiba! We can't stay here!" Hige yelled over the whipping rain and thunder. The dark flashed into a flurry of flickering lights as lightning danced across the sky and the bombarding roar of thunder followed in its wake.

Toboe screamed out of fear beside me and I couldn't help but speak out as well, "We have to find someplace! Anything!" Mud and rocks swept up in our faces, flooding into our noses, causing even more of a problem. If we didn't die by freezing in the rain, we'd most likely die by drowning from the mud! I watched helplessly as more lightning danced across the twisting, unforgiving skies. The flashes of light they created gave us split seconds of waterlogged glimpses of each other.

Hige looked absolutely pathetic as his thick fur laid flat and long, giving him the resemblance of an over-sized, soaked rat. Kiba and Tsume looked extraordinarily thin with their fur matted to them, revealing their ribs and bones. I knew better, though. Those bones were strong and they could certainly take a lot of damage. Toboe looked oddly like a female right now, as he didn't look too skinny or too wide. The rain pelted his fur, but it was sleek and his body slender. Thunder clapped the sky and Toboe flinched then tried to silence a scream.

I tried looking around again, desperately searching for some form of shelter between lightning strikes. There was nothing but a curtain of freezing, bruising rain. Sadly, just for a second, I wished I was back in the city. Safe within the compounds of some old, broken-down building, possibly fighting off some guy or just avoiding the rain. I quickly shook that longing from my mind. That world was no longer mine to live in. This, the real outside, was my home. Unmerciful or not. In a way, I could barely keep a smile from my lips, this cold harshness was almost like home.

Once again, the collaged world around us lit up with a crackling light. In that second, I spotted something off in the distance. It had reflected off the light. I couldn't tell if it was the rain playing tricks on me or if I had really seen something. Waiting in the darkness, I remained quiet about it until the next passage of light. Not five minutes had passed when the world brightened again. I wasn't seeing things, there was something out there glinting off the light.

"Kiba! Behind you!" I shouted over the pounding off the rain. "There's something out there! It may be shelter!" He looked at me with uncertain eyes. I may have been here, and he may have asked, but I was still an outsider. I had yet to earn any ounce of trust. I had to try, though! "Please!"

Slowly, he lifted himself and turned to stare off into the rain. At first, he was staring into the dark, but once the lightning flared up the water, he also saw the glinting. "Toboe, Hige, Tsume! We're heading for that area!" They stood slowly, stiff with cold. I also had my problems, feeling as if I weighed twenty pounds heavier than I should. "Mutt," he called to me last, "stay with Toboe. Make sure he doesn't fall behind."

At first, I thought he was going to praise me or something, but I was soon getting used to the fact that I may never get a single sign of approval from him. I was all right with that. So, instead of holding anything against the older wolf, I merely nodded my head and remained beside Toboe.

Speaking of Toboe, he wasn't faring well. He couldn't keep his eyes open very long and his pace was slow and very sluggish. I kept to his side, holding him up if I ever needed to when a huge gush of wind whipped at our soggy and frozen bodies. My footing in the once stable ground was atrocious as I slipped in water and mud puddles. The three up front spared no time in waiting for us as they trudged on, their pace quicker than ours. I was very confidant in my ability to keep up, but I couldn't risk losing Toboe and having them turn on me.

"It'll be all right, Toboe," I ushered him on by whispering in his ear. "We're almost there. Just a little longer." The "little longer" was actually farther than I expected. We had to cross over a small hill and some type of mud dune. That was like a sand dune, but it was made of very soft, and easily sinkable mud. Hige had accidentally stepped in a wrong spot and almost got sucked right in. After the two hills, we came arrived at the destination of the glinting. What it was kind of scared me.

"What is it Kiba?" Hige asked over the roar of the wind. We all stared at massive metal skeleton sticking out of the mud. It looked about as tall as a twenty story building, but it came to a very odd pointy arch at the top. The glinting we saw was the very tip, which we saw was covered in some type of steel. Whatever it was, there was a giant hole torn in the side with metal bars behind it. A giant metal skeleton.

Kiba didn't say anything as he led us inside the massive, strange building. We all looked around. It wasn't dry, but it wasn't soaked either. There were metal bars everywhere lining the inside of the thing. It formed the sides like ribs for the structure. I looked up and saw walls with opening like that of doors that led upward. It looked like a building, but it wasn't meant to be upward like this. Looking around, I saw that there were supposed to be more to the building going underground.

"Guys, what is this thing?" Toboe managed to choke out. He started choking even more as he tried ridding water from his lungs.

Tsume looked up and around the room we were in. There were broken remnants of what were probably crates and a few odd scraps of weird rubber circular things. He sniffed the air and managed a small answer, "I think it's called a boat."

"What's a boat?" I was the one coughing raggedly now, trying to relive myself of the rain I inhaled earlier. Hige shook himself off, sending huge drops of water on us. "Hey!" Glaring at him with one eye, I had to clench the other shut as my bangs flopped in the way.

He snickered, "Oops, sorry." His fur stuck out in odd ends, looking like a wet puff ball. I'd laugh at him later. Right now I was cold. Toying with his collar slightly, he looked around. "A boat, huh? Isn't that what humans used to travel through water?"

"On top of the water, I think," Tsume added.

Leaving Toboe's side, I went to a corner and shook myself off. Water sprayed off me, but didn't get the others wet. When I was done, I looked off in one direction and walked around aimlessly. Suddenly, my hind foot caught onto some type of rope and it latched around it instantly, tightening and flinging me up in the air. "Heeeey!" I yelped out of anger more than fear. The room was spinning and jumping as I dangled, spun, and just plain swung rapidly by my foot.

"Mutt!" Hige yelled in surprise.

"Get me down! Get me down now!" I thrashed more, but it just caused more pain. _A trap? A trap in a place like this? What's going on? _

As I came around for another loopy swing, I saw Tsume leap into the air and cut the rope. I dropped instantly, but years on the street hadn't left me with nothing. When the ground came too close, I twisted around then landed on my feet. My hind leg hurt horribly as it was the injured one from back in town. I tried not to say anything. Instead, I sat down to try not to set anymore traps off.

Tsume walked up behind me then nudged me in the back with his boot. "You okay?"

Turning to look back at him, I hid my right eye behind my bangs. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little spooked."

He looked around, wary now. "This place may be full of traps, but I wouldn't know why."

Kiba looked up at the door that led to higher ground. "Let's go up there." Without another word to us he leaped up, swayed to the right, kicked off another wall, and made it to the door without missing it. He vanished from our sights. Hige followed after him, but when he made it to the door, he had to grab the edge of it and scrabbled up.

"Stupid porker," Tsume murmured before lunging upward. Toboe and I were the last ones to go up. He was still shivering a bit as we both sat on the cold, wet ground. The wind struck the boat with such a force that it shook and shuddered every so often. I even found myself jumping slightly to the sharp groaning sounds it made.

Finally, Toboe stood and looked at me. "Can you make it to the top?" He looked concerned for me as I tried not to bring any notice to my injured leg. "Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine." Standing, I moved to the side with crates and stood on them. "Go on, you go first. I'll follow." I shook an idle hand at him. "Go."

His eyes lingered on me for a few seconds. He actually seemed a little sad about something. Finally, he turned away from me then looked up. "Mutt, I hope you trust us." With a mighty leap from the younger pup, he scaled the area after leaping off the wall and clung to the door opening. Soon, he climbed up and was also gone.

I was sitting in the near pitch darkness, aside from the flashes of lightning outside. The wind gusted through the openings in the boat and cut right through me. Shadows and sounds made me jumpy and maybe a little afraid. My hind leg throbbed from the abuse and I knew there was no way I'd be able to reach the opening up in the ceiling. It was a jump just out of reach, but I had to get up there.

Strange smells filtered into my nose, faintly, disgustingly, and I realized it was death. My fur stood on end as I got down from the crates. I looked around, holding up my human illusion, trying to see where the smell was actually coming from. Something in the darkness squeaked, a metallic, rusty squeak. The sound of movement swayed in the air. I could feel the shift. Lightning flashed outside. Wind bellowed around me. The smell soon became so strong that I thought I was going to gag!

Something was moving behind me, so I turned to look. "_AAAAAAAAAAAH_!"

"Mutt? Kid? Hey, Mutt!" Tsume called down to me. "Kid!"

I was running around, electricity dancing through my spine. All the time I was screaming "Get it off! Get it off! Oh my God!" at the top of my lungs. My eyes scanned the area again, the dead, rotting corpse of a wolf hung upside-down from the same type of trap I was in. It must have been hanging from a crook in the darkness, but the wind must have knocked it down.

"Get up here!" Tsume must have seen it too as he sounded worried now. I could set off another trap again at any moment!

Whipping around, sparks of fear still dancing along my spine, I crouched while gathering as much strength I could. When I felt like a tightly wound coil, I pushed off the ground with all my might. My leg throbbed and soon stung again as I connected with a wall. I felt the cold, rusty metal under my feet as I kicked off again. The door seemed like an incredibly small target and I knew I'd never reach it. I was right, sadly. The door was less than an arm's length away and I felt myself dropping slowly.

"I gotcha!" Tsume reached out and grabbed my outreached arm. He managed to grab my wrist, but we were just hanging there for a second. Soon, I felt myself being hoisted up then thrown inside the area. Light flooded my eyes as I hit the floor then slid across it before hitting the wall. "You need to eat more, kid." Tsume was standing over me a minute later. "You weigh next to nothing."

My heart was beating fast, rapid like a snare drum, as I tried to catch my breath. I wasn't afraid because I was falling. The sight of that grotesquely rotted figure of that wolf corpse was still fresh in my mind. I didn't even notice the pain in my leg or the eyes on me. My body continued to tremble even beyond my mind telling it to stop. I could see everyone's mouth moving as they were trying to talk to me, but I wasn't able to hear them. With my body still in panic-mode, I closed my eyes and forced myself into a safety induced slumber.


End file.
